Railroad flat cars and flat bed trucks are known for transporting vehicles, large and small diameter pipe, containers, lumber, truck frames, etc. These items being transported, hereinafter referred to generically as the load, must be secured to the flat deck or bed.
In the prior art the load may be secured to the flat rail car deck by steel bands which have end loops that wrap around a roller attached within an interior opening of a banding anchor body of a banding anchor. The banding anchor is attached to the side of the rail flat car by a U-shaped retainer typically welded to a sidewall or side-skirt of the flat car. In order to provide clearance for the banding, a cutout is typically made in the deck adjacent where the anchor banding attaches to the sidewall. Since many banding anchors may be employed with corresponding steel bands, a large number of cutouts reduce the useable deck area and create cutout edges, which could cause damage to rubber tires or other portions of the load. Cost is also added to the car construction.